The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1887-12-29

ALL WAACA bAO cLbtOS "CXO % 4IO0 t1uO3 Ulko
lands were restored to those who had sold
them. We hear now Of leases for ninety
nine years, but with the Jews all sales or
leases expired the forty-ninth, or year OF
jubilee. There was great rejoicing when
the time came for the children or the grand
children to get back the old homestead of
their ancestors. '.ss r. ~ @
But the most popular and important of
all mile-stones is the anniversary Of tho
birth Of Christ. It is very Common every
where to celebrate birthdays. Americans
make q big fuss over Washington's birth
day because he is called the Father Of His
Country. Most every family makes q little
fuss over the birthday Of the parents or
children. They don't toot horns or pop fire.
crackers, hut they lave an extra good dim
ner and fix, up some little present as q
pleasant surprise. The 18th of July was
the birth of q Nation, and SO the Nation al
ways celebrates that day. But Christmas
belongs to all civilized countries. It is q
blessed heritage and belongs to all alike
the rich and the poor, the bond and the
free, the King and his subjects.
Christians began to observe Christmas
about fifteen hundred years ago. In course
of time the young people rather lost stgnS
Of the sacredness Of the day and made 81
day Of feasting and frolic. They s4S&f
songs because it was said that the shef-
herds sang songs at Bethlehem. They made
presents to one another because the wise
men from the East brought presents to
the young child and it's mother. :
The Roman Catholic church has observed
these celebrations for centuries and the
church Of England took them up and so did
the Protestants Of Germany and other coun-
tries. In q great painting Of the Nativity, by
Raphael, there IS seen q Shepherd at the
door playing on q bagpipe. The Tyrolese
who live on the mountain slopes of Italy
come down to he valleys on Christmas
eve. They come caroling sweet songs and
playing on musical Instruments. There
used to be many curious superstitions about
Christmas. It was believed that an OK end
an ass that were near where the Saviour
born bent their knee n devotion, and 20
the people believed that all the domestic
animals went to prayer on Christmas
night. They believed that when the rooster
crowed for midnight all the Wizards and
witches and hobgoblins and evil spirits
fed away from the ~hahitations Of men and
hid in hollow trees and caves and deserted
houses for twelve days.
Mr.. Carlyle said that every nation should
have q hero and should worship him-not as
. god or In place OF the true God, but the
next thing to it. He says it1oements the
people together and makes them proud Of
their country and content with their gov
ernment. This hero may be real or irnagin-
airy, but the people must believe that he
fought for them or died for them or was the
founder Of their institutions or their re-
hgion. The ancient Norsemen had Odin
and Thor for their heroes. The Persians
had their genii and their fairies; the Hin
docs their rakshar; the Greeks and Romans
their wonderful gods and Roddesses, such
as Jupiter and Luna and Hercules and VuE
can and Neptune. The more enlightened
people becomes, the more sublime are their
superstitions. The uncivilized Indians are
mystifed, and can only 'tsee God in clouds
and hear Him in the wind" The native
Africans have crocodiles and serpents and
owls for their gods. Some OF them Of &
higher grade set their faith in foxes and 4
rabbits and jaybigds. Down South the good
negroes used to tell the white children
stories at night about the tar baby, and the
bear and the bee tree, and foxes and wolves,
but the bad negroes told us about witches
and ghosts and Jack o'lanterns and raw
head and bloody bones, and we would listen
until we didn't dare to look round, and we
wouldn't have gone from their cabins to the
III DS AOASS 0IUAC 1OT u WOTIA Iul OF HOlQ.N8%
Napoleon said that all men were towards
by night, but it was those old negroes that
made us SO, and our generation has never
recovered from it. Christmss was 3 great
season for the negroes in slavery times. IT
q feast and q frolic for a whole week
and their children were just SIS good as the
white children then and all frolicked to-
gether.
Blu ct this joyous. season there should 10
nothing but love and kindness and good will.
For twelve days, il no more, let envy and
nate and malice and selishness all be ban
ished to the caves and the wilderness.
Then Q rich and merry Christmas to the rich.
And q bright and happy Christmas to the poor;
SO their hearts are Joyous # doesn't matter
which
Has the fine velvet carpet on the door.
For riches bring o trouble when they come.
money leaves q pain when ii goes:
But everybody now should have q little sum
To brighten up the year at It's close.
BIIL7ARr.
NEvRR wish an Unmarried woman III un~
certain age 9 Happy New Year. Size has
more years already than she known
what TO do with. Wish her 4 marry CHRISTI
mas-that may suit hs cssss-EsQ